How Does Spaying a Cat Help With Behavior Issues?

Both the Humane Society of the U.S. and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommend spaying your cat. Spaying involves the removal of your cat's reproductive organs, preventing her from having litters of kittens. Not only does spaying encourage pet population control, it has both health and behavioral benefits for your cat as well.

  1. Spraying

    • Female cats spray urine to mark their territory and advertise their sexual availability for a mate. They do this by depositing a small amount of urine on a vertical or sometimes a horizontal surface in your home. Because this urine contains pheromones, it leaves behind a pungent, unpleasant scent that is difficult to remove. When you spay your cat, it will eliminate this behavior in 95 percent of cases of female cats that urine-mark, according to Louisiana-based nonprofit group Pawprints &Purrs. Spaying reduces the hormone estrogen that motivates this behavior.

    Estrus

    • Starting at about 6 months of age, a female cat begins going into heat, also called estrus, during the fall and spring. During this period, the cat will search for a mate. A heat cycle lasts seven to 10 days and recurs every 15 to 21 days, according to the AMC Reno Hospital for Cats. When in heat, female cats become irritable. Your cat will behave anxiously, becoming more vocal and yowl or call loudly as a way to attract a mate. The behavior attracts strange male cats to your home, especially if your cat goes outdoors. Spaying your cat will prevent this behavior if performed on kittens 6 months or younger. It will eliminate the behavior in older cats, but you must wait until your cat is not in estrus to perform the procedure.

    Aggression

    • Due to high levels of estrogen, intact females tend to become more aggressive toward both people and other pets, especially during estrus. Unspayed female cats will bite more frequently than spayed ones. Since an unspayed cat in heat will focus on mating behaviors, if you stop it from mating with other cats, it will redirect its frustration on you in its behavior. A cat with redirected aggression will bite, scratch or hiss at you. Female cats in search of a mate also will try to escape your home more often and roam for longer periods of time. They will not try to bond with you as a spayed cat will. If your cat becomes pregnant, it will become agitated and aggressive. Cats that give birth to kittens will bite or scratch you to protect their young.

    Considerations

    • You can safely spay your cat at about 8 weeks of age, according to the ASPCA. The surgery to spay your cat, also called an ovariohysterectomy, involves a small incision to remove the ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus. After surgery, your cat will need to wear an e-collar to prevent it from licking the site of the incision. Healing usually takes about one to two weeks. Spaying relieves behavioral problems associated with estrogen production and also prevents certain cancers in female cats. The risk of ovarian, breast and uterine cancers is greatly reduced, as are any medical complications associated with pregnancy. For those concerned about the cost of the procedure, local animal shelters or rescue groups can offer information about low-cost spaying options.